Denunciation of real unhappiness or internal settling of scores? In Ariège, the “Chiva Rebels” sow unease at the hospital

Credible denunciation of a real situation of unhappiness among agents of the Intercommunal Hospital Center of the Ariège Valleys (Chiva) or internal settling of scores? This is the question that has arisen since an anonymous letter, signed by mysterious “Revolts from Chiva”, was addressed some time ago to the Regional Health Agency (ARS) and the Ministry of Health.

But also distributed in the establishment itself as indicated by Manuel Tellez, CGT secretary of the largest hospital in the department: “The letter was distributed but very discreetly, leaving it in the treatment or rest rooms at the without the knowledge of the healthcare teams, or in the locker rooms. The retirement homes were also informed.

“Unhealthy climate”, “manipulation”, “encouragement of denunciation”…

The words of this letter, which targets several hospital executives by name, are harsh: “immobility”, “unhealthy climate”, “nuisance power”… Until concluding: “Manipulation, encouragement to denounce are the founding principles of this character's HR policy”, a “perverse policy, destructive of meaning and source of deep suffering […] : depression, burn-out, sick leave, taking medication, and of course many departures. […] Fear has become their daily lot.”

“It’s filthy, that’s all, and it’s not necessarily the truth,” assures Manuel Tellez, who is nevertheless not very tender when it comes to pointing out the dysfunctions of the establishment. A trade unionist who admits to being “unable to say if there is any truth in that” and instead sees it as an internal settling of scores, a source of deep unease among many agents. “It’s a rubbish,” he continues, “if it’s like that, anyone can send anything. And to sign it “Les Révoltés du Chiva”, there’s a lot of lack of courage in that. . I'm in my 36th year in hospital, there have always been tensions, but it never got to that point.”

“People don’t deserve to be smeared like this.”

Same story, or almost, on the side of Force Ouvrière, one of whose representatives at Chiva, Bernard Malbert, considers this letter “accusatory and defamatory, and that is extremely serious: the people named in this letter anonymous people don't deserve to be smeared like that.” “An anonymous letter giving names is very easy,” he continues. “I consider that there are 1,600 agents here and that we should not cast shame on any person in the hospital center.”

Did he receive alerts about the situation reported? “No, he replies. We can be alerted to lots of difficulties, but let's get to this kind of communication… Management problems, there are more and more of them in all hospitals and the first problem , it's human resources. If it's reality, it's extremely serious, but I can't say it exists.”

The only nuance on his part is that “it would be regrettable if an individual or group only had this means of expressing themselves. Out of 1,600 agents, not all come to see us when they have a problem and we think that we must take advantage of this letter to have a real reflection on the quality of life at work.” Which does not prevent him from also mentioning the possibility of an internal settling of scores.

Two complaints for slanderous denunciation filed

Very affected, the main person concerned immediately reacted by filing a complaint for slanderous denunciation. “What can we say about an anonymous letter which shows the courage of opinions? he reacts for La Dépêche. We can't imagine the harm it does, but I have a clear conscience. I've been in this place for 25 years. house and since this letter was distributed, I have received a lot of testimonies about my skills and my values. But when we revolt, we display our revolt, they hide very far from the barricades. justice who can know who it comes from.”

The hospital management supports him and has itself filed a complaint for slanderous denunciation. “It is an anonymous letter which slanders one of my agents, so I filed a complaint on behalf of the institution,” explains the general director of Chiva, Marie Dunyach. “It’s less the denunciation of a situation than the questioning of a person,” she continues. “These “Chiva Rebels”, I don’t know who they are and perhaps I won’t know. never. But there is no evidence, it is a despicable way of doing things. It is not substantiated and tomorrow, it is the door open to any denunciation.

The director nevertheless recognizes that following a relatively recent organizational change, tensions arose between certain managers of the establishment, an identified uneasiness which gave rise to a meeting of all those concerned and which would have nothing to do with this letter. “As far as I know,” she says, “the person involved was in no way concerned by what is being reported.” A situation of which she also informed the ARS, as well as the complaints filed, in the hope that justice will one day reveal the identity of the “Chiva Rebels”.